US President Donald Trump has denied discussing FIFA's proposals to offer stakes to external investors with Gianni Infantino. Speaking at Camp David, Mr Trump addressed the matter after FIFA announced earlier this week its intention to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events.
This new subsidiary would offer up to 20 per cent of its shares to outside investors. The proposed investor group is reportedly set to be led by a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing significant backlash over his proposals to privatise football tournaments. UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have publicly rejected the plans, with the AFC stating that confidence in FIFA's governance has been "undermined".
Amid this opposition, Infantino's long-term adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, has resigned in protest, and FIFA's chief operating officer accused Infantino of "deceiving" staff. FIFA has pushed back against UEFA, insisting that "nobody is selling football" and confirming a consultation period will continue ahead of a vote scheduled for 19 September.
In a separate development, FIFA appears to have accelerated plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams. A private document, revealed by Martin Ziegler of The Times, shows FIFA issued a brief on Thursday 30 July to explore expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, with an intention to implement the format from the 2030 edition.